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Sun of Shadows/Chapter 16
This is the sixteenth chapter in Sun of Shadows and the seventh in part two, Ice. Of Past and Future It was amazing how quickly opinions could change. From above, Iris had a good overview of all the members of her group that had been frustrating her more and more in the last few hours. She could've been glad that Nergal was suddenly a lot less aggressive than before, now that everyone knew his story. But at the same time, the others also treated him unusually friendly, as if they'd forgotten how mean he had been only hours ago. Ani, she could understand, but especially from Sedna she'd have expected more. The wind was once again carrying the words of the others up to her. "Now you're already two," she heard Karzelek say, sitting with Sedna on the back of Sura's mammoth. His voice had grown louder in the recent weeks, more confident. "Yeah," Sedna replied. That was enough, she knew as well as Iris what Karzelek was talking about. The fact that she was supposed to have died long ago. "But I'd prefer him not knowing about that. Even though it's... I don't know. A kind of relief." A relief? You've got to be kidding me. What had gone into the others? Was she the only one who remembered what an idiot Nergal was? Who didn't accept his past as a justification? Maybe she really lacked compassion. After all, as far as she could tell, she was the only one among her closest friends who didn't have an awful backstory to tell. Who cared about who her parents were? Not her, at least. She had also been just fine living with the Crows down in the sewers of the city. What happened to her didn't bother her. But maybe Geb, Sedna, and Karzelek really liked Nergal a little more now just because he'd had a hard past. In her opinion, that didn't excuse anything. Especially Perry had been hurt by Nergal's words, she hadn't forgotten his troubled flight from yesterday. At least he was finally using his wings, that had frustrated her long enough. But was he really okay? And what did he think of her, after all that had happened yesterday? She could have asked him right here, high up in the air. But there was a gap between them because of his and Shimmer's wings that forced her to shout. If Nergal made an effort, she was sure he could understand her - and that was something she didn't want to risk. Luckily, she soon got a chance. Namely, when Sura announced to set up a camp and the watch was assigned. "I suggest we keep watch two at a time," Sedna said. She sounded tense, even more than usual. Did she expect an attack of the Shadows? The conditions were perfect for that. "A lightless person with someone who has a light source. Iris, want to join m-" "No thanks," Iris interrupted her. "I mean, not this time. I'd like to take Perry." Sedna looked at her in surprise, then looked over at the Light Elm. "Is that alright with you?" He regarded Iris thoughtfully. For a moment, she expected that he would say no after yesterday's incident, but he nodded. "Sure." Sedna's expression was difficult to interpret. Had she preferred Perry with someone else? With someone weaker whom he could protect in case of a Shadow attack? Well, too bad for her. Iris had something to sort out. They weren't the first watch, their turn came only after two other pairs. But that hardly bothered Iris. Nor that it was Five who woke her while Sura dealt with Perry. By now she liked the two girls that could hardly be more different, especially their height. She wouldn't mind if the two of them overheard something from her conversation with Perry. As energetic as Five was, she certainly didn't plan on telling Nergal. Five didn't ask curious questions when Iris scrambled to her feet. She just grinned, as she usually did, and flickered brightly in the darkness, so Iris kept her eyes closed for now. "Have fun!" "Thanks," she yawned, already looking forward to Perry's comparatively pleasant glow. "We'll be fine." She watched as Five laid down beside her furry companion before finally daring to sit down with Perry. The last time, she hadn't hesitated a moment because she'd been worried about him, but now? How close did he let her get to him? In the end, she sat down next to him and his glow, a few feet between them. What should she tell him? Should she just apologize for the incident yesterday? Ask him how he was doing? "What do you want from me?", Perry asked instead and she winced. How terribly direct that sounded. Was he mad at her? She couldn't blame him. "I wanted to know how you are," she answered honestly. "I was pretty rude to you yesterday." "Rightly so," he countered soberly. "I behaved unacceptably. Not at all like the Hero of Light should be." Iris couldn't help but snort. "Maybe, but look at us. No one here looks like the savior of the world." Skeptically Perry let his eyes wander: over the hyperactive Five and the strange Sura, over Nergal the Half-Shadow and the unnaturally small Karzelek. Over the good-natured Geb and the warm-hearted Ani. And finally... "Sedna does." Yeah, that was true. Sedna was the only one that matched the typical heroic image. Strong, smart, courageous, and a self-confident demeanor. Even if she wouldn't like to hear this opinion. "What do you think of her?" "She's fantastic," Perry admitted with an openness that surprised Iris. But why? He often said what he thought. Because this time it was about an Elmin, that's why. She had to remember how Sedna had talked to him yesterday. How she seemed to understand him better than most - and her reaction in the evening. She had to grin. "I think she likes you too." Perry looked at her in surprise, but turned away quickly. "I want to be more like her," he confessed. "That would please Lumeon, too." She bit her lip. Lumeon can get lost, she thought, but she couldn't just tell Perry. Instead, she asked, "What is growing up with a Keeper like? Or were just the other Elmen with you?" "Rarely," he said. "They never treated me differently than their kind, so I was often alone. Only Lumeon has made sure from time to time to work on my magic and my knowledge of the outside world." His face brightened. "And Bennu taught me a lot in his observatory. He was the only one who enjoyed my presence." How lonely that sounded. The Crows had always had other Elmen around them. "By 'their kind' you mean the adults, right? Did nobody your age play with you?" "Oh. No." He looked up into the starry sky. "Light Elmen are immortal, did you know?" "Yeah," she replied bitterly. Still, it was a strange feeling to hear it from a second person. "Lumeon made them immortal when he created them, more than a thousand years ago. None of them ever had children... Lumeon says Aethill himself sent me. A power that transcends his own. But he knew of my coming, for Aethill also sent him the prophecy." Aethill... the creature the Impures believed in. It actually existed. But this revelation was supplanted by something that shocked her much more. "That means the entire tribe - except you - is grown up?" Perry nodded, as flat as almost always. "Yes. But that's the way it was. Like I said, they didn't treat me differently than each other. It didn't bother them that I was special." Iris stared at him. "You do realize that's not a good thing." "What do you mean?" How could he - he can't know that, she reminded herself and took a deep breath. "You are different, Perry. There are so many years between you and the rest of your tribe that you can't ignore. You needed so much that they couldn't possibly have given you. Friends to go on adventures with, a family that's there for you..." She could see it clearly in her mind: how she and Autolycus roamed the rooftops, always one step ahead of the guards. How she had learned to love the dilapidated catacombs that had been her home for so long. No, her life hadn't been bad, not at all. "A childhood," she breathed to prevent her voice from breaking. "I don't think you had that." "Probably not." He shrugged. She wanted to shout at him. How incredibly angry she was that he didn't seem to understand what the problem was. He sounded completely relaxed, as if he really saw nothing wrong with the way he had grown up. But what should she tell him? He wouldn't understand what she was trying to explain anyway. Perry apparently noticed what was going on inside her. "I'm sorry," he said. "That the customs of my tribe are so different from yours." She sighed. "It's fine. You can't change what happened anyway. Do you at least think that you... had a good life?" "I guess so." Iris didn't fail to notice how he suddenly hesitated. "It happened quite often that I wanted to talk to someone about something, but no one would listen to me and even Bennu was busy. That was hard to bear... but I could change it with my magic." "How so?" Perry moved his hands, slowly and patiently. At first she thought he wanted to show her shadow figures, but soon she realized the truth - when a small bird soared past her and made her flinch. It wasn't a real animal, she quickly realized, but as vivid as any of the birds she knew. Yellowish white, it lit up the icy night like Perry: a bird of light. "I came up with stories," Perry said a bit embarrassed as a miniature hare joined the bird and disregarded gravity before settling on the ground. Perry expertly steered them with his hands and watched them, smiling as he spoke to Iris. "Nothing worth writing down. But it helped." "I can imagine." She had to grin. "Maybe you can tell Sedna one day. I'm sure she'll appreciate it." She marveled at Perry's creations for quite some more time, then it was time to wake Geb and Karzelek for the next shift. --- The next day they rode through the ice desert without anything happening once again. There was no sign of the Shadows, but Iris couldn't be happy about that. Why hadn't they long since tried to stop the friends? Were they afraid of Perry, or did they know that the journey to the Atsanik was useless and that Umbrath couldn't be stopped? It was impossible to say. Maybe she should enjoy the peace as long as she could. As if on cue, Perry suddenly left his flight path and headed for the ground. Had he been hit by something? No, he was heading for Nergal, who, with some distance from the others, was in the rear to warn them of attackers. Curious, she let Shimmer fly closer, but far enough away that they wouldn't notice she was listening. Nevertheless, she managed to understand everything well. "What do you want?", Nergal asked little enthusiastically. At least he didn't chase Perry away at once, as he might have done days ago, but let him fly alongside. Perry hesitated only a moment. "Do you remember what you said yesterday?" Nergal averted his eyes and stared ahead. "How could I forget." "Yes. Of course. That was a pointless question." "It's alright," Nergal said a bit more mildly. "What's the matter?" "I... I think you did that really well yesterday. Storytelling, I mean." Nergal shrugged. "I guess. So?" "Maybe that would be something for you. After this journey is over." Nergal's head spun around, his gaze returning to Perry. "What's that supposed to mean?" "It means I can imagine that you could become a storyteller. That's a thing, right?" "Sure," said Five, who had apparently overheard the conversation and was now buzzing next to them with her aptly named companion. "Even at my tribe, there are people who do that. Why not? Everyone likes good stories." Perry sounded relieved. "I think it's a good idea. You could make many Elmen happy without hurting anyone." "Tell that to my father," Nergal growled. "I'' live up to my vocation. His is diplomat. If he had followed it more closely, our relationship would be much better." He made Spitfire go faster, as if the conversation had ended for him. "Besides, my tribe's supposed to respect me and not think I'm a wimp." "Who cares about your tribe?", Five asked. "You could travel all over Elysia and tell our story. Even if Perry defeats Umbrath in the end, the rest is just as well worth listening to." "That's true," Perry said, sounding absolutely serious. "I don't think you really need fighting to be happy. I know how good it feels to tell stories." So it was true! He was just talking to Nergal because Iris had gotten him thinking about it during the night. Even from up here, she saw the face Nergal made. He waited with his answer, but she saw how his lips moved, surely in a curse. Louder, he said: "...I'll think about it." And that ended the conversation. --- Another Shadowless night passed before Five made a discovery. "Say, Iris, do you see that too?" Iris narrowed her eyes and peered forward into the eternally nocturnal darkness glittering faintly in the starlight. "Looks like always," she said. Although, no - far on the horizon, the snow wasn't as calm as everywhere else, but seemed to move. Almost like... "Water," Five grinned at her. "Do you think we made it? To the Last Land?" ''The place of the Atsanik. Sudden anticipation seized her. "It can't be far." She couldn't wait to see those mysterious lights that Sura had spoken of. Not only because she generally liked everything that shone. These lights were magical and therefore twice as special. There was movement in the Elm group below when they noticed the water as well. Sura's mammoth leaped ahead and the others followed as fast as their legs carried them. Iris couldn't help it, she let Shimmer fly so fast that they left all the others behind and were the first to arrive on the shore of what appeared to be a large lake. The water was completely black in the dark, probably dark blue in daylight. In the middle of it rose something brighter - an island? "Last Land," Sura confirmed, coming to a stop next to Iris and Shimmer with her massive companion. "We must go there." Nergal had risen from Spitfire's back and gone to the edge of the water, into which he now looked contemptuously. "We have to swim?" "Hardly anyone of us can do that," Sedna said. "Except me, of course." Sura grunted in amusement. "Too cold for swimming. We take magic." She had already broken a large floe out of the ice that surrounded the lake. "Will that carry our weight?", Geb asked. After all, Boulder was the opposite of light. "If not, we can go twice." Nergal nodded. "Good idea. I don't need to drown and freeze at the same time." Sura just smiled. Her mammoth waded into the icy water and Iris shuddered at the mere sight. Sure, the animal was well protected by fat and fur, but it certainly felt the cold. At least the water didn't seem to be too deep: the mammoth's head and back still stood out so that Sura, Karzelek, and Sedna didn't get wet. The Ice Elmin used her magic to keep the ice floe still and Nergal and Geb exchanged a look. "You can go first, if you want," Geb offered. One could clearly see how nervous he was. "You first," Nergal replied anyway. "I want to see what Ani and I can expect." "If that's okay with you," Ani added. "There can't happen much to you and Boulder." "Sura said there are no sharks here," Karzelek shouted from above. "Or other animals that could eat you." That seemed to reassure him after all. "Alright," he said, guiding Boulder carefully onto the ice floe, which hardly wavered under their weight. Sura really did her best to make the crossing easier for them. Finally, Geb raised a hand to signal. "We're ready!" Sura raised her hands and concentrated as the ice floe began to move. After a few feet, the mammoth followed it and trudged slowly through the water. Iris and Shimmer flew close above them, so she could later calm the others - and distract Geb. "Almost like the river, right?", she called to him. "It wasn't that great back then." "True, but it's better this time. You won't get wet." "That's true." He looked around. "There's the island already." "You made it," she grinned at him and flew ahead to look at the island. It was bigger than Iris had expected: at least ten Ice Elmen and their companions could comfortably fit on the bare, snow-covered surface. There came Geb, obviously relieved to have solid ground under his feet again. Should she stay with him so he wouldn't have to wait alone on the island? No, Sura's mammoth was already raising its trunk to grab Karzelek and Sedna and drop them off on the shore. Iris's friends would be able to cope without her. She flew the short distance back to the other shore, where not only Nergal and Ani, but also Perry and Five were waiting for her. "You don't have to worry," she announced. "There's nothing that can happen to you." And that was how it was in the end. Nergal, Ani, and their companions made the crossing without any problems and finally they were all on the island, on which nothing moved except them. "Great," Five said, looking around the island. "And now?" "Wait." Sura sat in the snow and her mammoth settled down as well. The water that still stuck in its coat was now frozen, which didn't seem to bother the animal. On the contrary, it reminded Iris a bit of the glittering pearls in Sura's own fur. Nergal muttered something, then used his magic to create a snow-free area to sit on. "For me, too," Iris spoke up and almost everyone else agreed. Nergal grinned and followed the requests. Ani was the first to notice a change. "Look!", she called, pointing to the sky. Immediately, the others followed her gaze. It was true, where the sky had just been black, light green lines suddenly rose from the darkness. As they widened and widened, new colors appeared, until a dancing veil of all the colors of the rainbow had settled over the night. Was that what Nergal saw in the prophecy? The light that wasn't just white, but consisted of so much more - of each and every one of them? Glancing at him, Iris saw that his eyes had begun to get wet, for the first time since the revelation of his past. Geb was so amazed by the lights that his mouth was open, but Iris couldn't blame him for that. Whatever they had seen during their journey through Elysia, nothing came close to the spectacle that the Ice Elmen called Atsanik. This moment was more breathtaking than anything Iris knew and she knew her friends felt the same. No moment of her life up to now was more beautiful than the opportunity to share this sight with her friends. They could have been sitting here forever and looking up at the sky if it wasn't for the reason they were here in the first place. The sign Sura was waiting for. Iris squinted over at her - and her breath caught. The fur of the Ice Elmin shimmered like the sky above them, ribbons of color pervading her body. She had markings... which you could only see in the light of the Atsanik. Enthralled, she stared up into the sky and Iris didn't dare disturb her, no matter how much it itched in her fingers. What did the lights tell Sura right now? The Ice Elmin screamed. It happened so suddenly that they all flinched and stared at her, startled. What had gone into her? Sura's eyes were wide open and she was flailing, as if she wanted to drive something away. "Taggak!", she cried in panic and, horrified, Iris saw that her markings were darker now, black. A look up - and the Atsanik fared the same way, in a kind of mighty wave they were devoured by the darkness, until it was a completely black band that moved across the sky. "That's the Shadows," Sedna breathed, her hand on the handle of her dagger. No matter how useless it was. Not any Shadows, Iris realized. Her eyes met Karzelek's and she knew they were thinking the same. There was only one kind of Shadow that was capable of this. A Shadow that had once been a Light Elm. Category:Chapters Category:EE3 Chapters